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Flying Feet: A Story of Irish Dance
The competition is on! Two champion dancers, Aidan and Michael, arrive in the village of Ballyconneely at the very same moment, each hoping to become the town's dance master. The villagers can support only one instructor, so the men agree to battle it out through rounds of reels and hornpipes. At each stage of the contest, the men challenge each other by calling for more and more difficult tunes to test their opponent's skill. Cheered on by the gathering crowd, the men dance on increasingly daring platformsfrom rain barrels to stone walls and beyondas each inspires the other until the best man wins. Based on a true event, this classic tale illustrates the enduring tradition of dance and music in Ireland.
36 pages, Hardcover
First published January 27, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 7, 2008
I'm always in search of good books at St. Patrick's Day time and this one fits the bill. The endnotes explain the veracity of this story. Kids will love how the dancers face off by climbing higher and higher and dancing on a more and more limited space. Very educational!
March 3, 2020
A sweet and exciting story about what happens when two dance masters come to an Irish town!
There can only be one Irish dance master in the town, so they decide to compete against each other to see who gets to stay in the town of Ballyconeely.
This is a great book that includes a lot of Irish culture. The illustrations are lovely and the writing is fast-paced and well written; perfect for describing the exciting competition and dancing! I recommend this book to anyone who would like a quick introduction to the history of Irish dance.
There can only be one Irish dance master in the town, so they decide to compete against each other to see who gets to stay in the town of Ballyconeely.
This is a great book that includes a lot of Irish culture. The illustrations are lovely and the writing is fast-paced and well written; perfect for describing the exciting competition and dancing! I recommend this book to anyone who would like a quick introduction to the history of Irish dance.
June 22, 2023
A fun book made even more fun by mom’s fake Irish accent—will check out again, probably around St. Patrick’s Day!
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March 1, 2016Title: Flying Feet: A Story of Irish Dance
Author:by Anna Marlis Burgard, Dees McCloskey,
Illustrator: Leighanne Dees
Genre:European Folktale
Theme(s):dance competition, history of Irish Dance
Opening line/sentence: The wind raced across the sea like a great herd of stallions.
Brief Book Summary: This book is an Irish story of two men who are in dance competition.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:Written by Anna Marlis Burgard and illustrated by Leighanne Dees with aid from the watchful eyes of Irish dance and folklore experts, Flying Feet: A Story Of Irish Dance is a fantastic children's picturebook inspired by a true event - a singularly memorable dance championship that took place when two master dancers tested their talents to determine who was worthy to become the dance instructor of Ballyconneely. A two-part unfolding page reveals the climactic moment when one of the contestants is so entranced in the passion of the moment he appears to take to the skies! The exuberant color illustrations emphasize a celebration and appreciation of Irish dance and cultural heritage. An afterword at the end offers some educational notes about the history of Irish dance.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:The excitement and drama of an intense Irish dance competition moves through the pages of this delightful picture book at break-neck speed. Aiden Delaney arrived by horse and Michael MacHugh by bicycle in the small town of Ballyconneely, each intent upon becoming the dance teacher. Since the small village could only support one of them, it was decided to hold a competition to see which was the best high-stepper. Young Gabriel Feeney and his fiddle were enlisted to play a series of jigs, reels, and hornpipes and a half door was ripped from its hinges to provide a dance floor. The music began and the men tried to out do each other with fancy footwork and energetic leaps and as the notes were rising their boot heels hammered and slapped the wooden surface as they took daring turns on stone walls and barrels. In one final bold move, Aiden Delaney performed a feat so spectacular it takes a dramatic lift-up page to capture the moment that won the respect and awe of all who saw it. Based on a true event this lively telling is as spirited and lyrical as Irish dance itself. The tension and suspense of the competition is captured in the warm pastels that whirl and move with as much vigor as the dancers. Burgard conveys the essence of the Irish people and their music in this marvelous tribute to a tradition
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I really enjoy learning about Irish culture but I felt as though this book was a little boring. The reviewers rave about the illustrations however I felt as though they were too much and could maybe be a little distracting to young readers.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: A literary element that I liked was the use of some Irish words. This is a good way to introduce vocabulary to students.However something I did not like was that was a lot of text on the page and a times it felt overwhelming especially for young readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book as a cultural tool. In my classroom all cultures will be celebrated and Irish culture and traditions will be one of them. I would read the students this book and then ask a local Irish dance instructor to come teach us a few moves to give a performance for the school or maybe just their peers.
Author:by Anna Marlis Burgard, Dees McCloskey,
Illustrator: Leighanne Dees
Genre:European Folktale
Theme(s):dance competition, history of Irish Dance
Opening line/sentence: The wind raced across the sea like a great herd of stallions.
Brief Book Summary: This book is an Irish story of two men who are in dance competition.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:Written by Anna Marlis Burgard and illustrated by Leighanne Dees with aid from the watchful eyes of Irish dance and folklore experts, Flying Feet: A Story Of Irish Dance is a fantastic children's picturebook inspired by a true event - a singularly memorable dance championship that took place when two master dancers tested their talents to determine who was worthy to become the dance instructor of Ballyconneely. A two-part unfolding page reveals the climactic moment when one of the contestants is so entranced in the passion of the moment he appears to take to the skies! The exuberant color illustrations emphasize a celebration and appreciation of Irish dance and cultural heritage. An afterword at the end offers some educational notes about the history of Irish dance.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:The excitement and drama of an intense Irish dance competition moves through the pages of this delightful picture book at break-neck speed. Aiden Delaney arrived by horse and Michael MacHugh by bicycle in the small town of Ballyconneely, each intent upon becoming the dance teacher. Since the small village could only support one of them, it was decided to hold a competition to see which was the best high-stepper. Young Gabriel Feeney and his fiddle were enlisted to play a series of jigs, reels, and hornpipes and a half door was ripped from its hinges to provide a dance floor. The music began and the men tried to out do each other with fancy footwork and energetic leaps and as the notes were rising their boot heels hammered and slapped the wooden surface as they took daring turns on stone walls and barrels. In one final bold move, Aiden Delaney performed a feat so spectacular it takes a dramatic lift-up page to capture the moment that won the respect and awe of all who saw it. Based on a true event this lively telling is as spirited and lyrical as Irish dance itself. The tension and suspense of the competition is captured in the warm pastels that whirl and move with as much vigor as the dancers. Burgard conveys the essence of the Irish people and their music in this marvelous tribute to a tradition
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I really enjoy learning about Irish culture but I felt as though this book was a little boring. The reviewers rave about the illustrations however I felt as though they were too much and could maybe be a little distracting to young readers.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: A literary element that I liked was the use of some Irish words. This is a good way to introduce vocabulary to students.However something I did not like was that was a lot of text on the page and a times it felt overwhelming especially for young readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book as a cultural tool. In my classroom all cultures will be celebrated and Irish culture and traditions will be one of them. I would read the students this book and then ask a local Irish dance instructor to come teach us a few moves to give a performance for the school or maybe just their peers.
February 25, 2015
This entertaining book is chalk full of great figurative language. On this first page the reader is introduced to similes, vivid imagery and personification. The book is centered upon the Irish culture and traditions of Irish dance. This book would be appropriate for grades levels 2-4 for a read aloud during a lesson on culture and or specific traditions. There is a lot of dialogue in the book and is filled with complex sentences.
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February 5, 2015Great for kids
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews